01c. 1984 ADShe was his north star, the fixed point round which his world turned. For as long as his heart beat, or hers, he believed they would always share a destiny.David Gemmell / quote ↗
02c. 1984 ADAll things that live must die. Man alone it seems lives all his life in the knowledge of death. And yet there is more to life than merely waiting for death. For life to have meaning, there must be a purpose. A man must pass something on – otherwise he is useless. For most men, that purpose revolves around marriage and children who will carry on his seed. For others it is an ideal – a dream, if you like. Each of us here believes in a concept of honor: that it is a man’s duty to do that which is right and just; that might alone is not enough. We have all transgressed at some time. We have stolen, lied, cheated – even killed – for our own ends. But ultimately we return to our beliefs. We judge ourselves more harshly than others can judge us. We know that death is preferable to betrayal of that which we hold dear.David Gemmell / quote ↗
03c. 1984 ADTrust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.David Gemmell / quote ↗
04c. 1984 ADWe make choices everyday, some of them good, some of them bad. And if we are strong enough - we live with the consequences. To be truthful I am not entirely sure what people mean when they talk of happiness. There are moments of joy and laughter, the comfort of friendship, but enduring happiness? If it exists I have not discovered it.David Gemmell / quote ↗
05c. 1984 ADOur lives are spent sailing in the mist, hoping for a burst of sunlight that can make sense of who we are.David Gemmell / quote ↗
06c. 1984 ADThis is the real magic of fantasy fiction: it can feed souls and change lives.David Gemmell / quote ↗
07c. 1984 ADYou are a Chosen Man. You are Parmenion, the Death of Nations. A hundred thousand souls will yousend to the dark river, screaming and wailing, lamenting their fate. It is right and just that youshould know your choices.David Gemmell / quote ↗
09c. 1984 ADThere is evil in all of us, and it is the mark of a man how he defies the evil within.David Gemmell / quote ↗
10c. 1984 ADNow the screams were awful to hear as men burned like candles all along the deck. Black smoke billowed over the sea. Argurios could not believe what he was watching. At least fifty helpless men were dying in agony. One man managed to free himself and leap into the sea. Amazingly, when he surfaced the flames were still consuming him.All along the beach there was silence as the stunned crowd watched the magical fires burning the galley and it's crew.David Gemmell / quote ↗
11c. 1984 ADLove is both wondrous and yet full of peril. Love is a gateway through which hatred - disguised and unrecognized - can pass.David Gemmell / quote ↗
12c. 1984 ADLike light and shadow, love and hate were inseparable. One could not exist without the other.David Gemmell / quote ↗
13c. 1984 ADHow simple love would be, Younger Brother, if we only had to bestow it on those who deserved it. Yet what would it be worth? If you gave a poor man a silver coin then that would be a gift. If you expected him to pay you back, then that would make it a loan. We do not loan our love, Lantern. We give it freely.David Gemmell / quote ↗
14c. 1984 ADDanger lies in the extreme. A man who is always cruel is evil, a man who is always compassionate will be taken advantage of. It is more a question of balance, or harmony, if you will.David Gemmell / quote ↗
15c. 1984 ADDo not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.David Gemmell / quote ↗
17c. 1984 ADBe lucky, Xander, and be brave. You will find that bravery and luck are often bedfellows.David Gemmell / quote ↗
18c. 1984 AD... Life can be savored only if you look to the future and leave vengeance to the godsDavid Gemmell / quote ↗
19c. 1984 ADA cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.David Gemmell / quote ↗
20c. 1984 ADRisks? I have lived with the prospect of assassination for years. What risks? All men die, rich and poor alike. But if I am to die, then let it be while I fight, not like some bullock in a pen waiting for the ax to fall.David Gemmell / quote ↗
21c. 1984 ADWhy now? Why not? Live or die, a man and a woman need love. There is a need in the race. We need to share. To belong. Perhaps you will die before the year is out. But remember this: to have may be taken from you, to have had never. Far better to have tasted love before dying, than to die alone.David Gemmell / quote ↗
22c. 1984 ADIs it not obvious? What is life but a betrayal? We start out young, full of hope. The sun is good, the world awaits us. But every passing year shows how small you are, how insignificant against the power of the seasons. Then you age. Your strength fails and the world laughs at you through the jeers of younger men. And you die. Alone. Unfulfilled. But sometimes . . . sometimes there will come a man who is not insignificant. He can change the world, rob the seasons of their power. He is the sun.David Gemmell / quote ↗
